In Memoriam
Laura Dugan
Saturday, June 7, 1958 - Monday, June 15, 2020
Beloved Wife, Nana, Daughter, Sister, and Friend
Click here for program from Laura's service
Laura Dugan. Omaha. Life-long resident of Nebraska survived by . . . Who are we kidding? This is not the obit meant for this curious wanderer of our planet and all of its dimensions. If you knew Laura while she was here, you already have her in your heart. If you did not know her, this is what you should know.
She loved babies and children, and especially those children by the name of Sarah, Conrad, and Lucy. Though not born to Laura – or, “Nana,” as her name became – these kids very much held her heart. All of them were, and are, tied together. One may have called her a nanny or a childcare specialist, at the time. Her role went beyond any title, as her mission was to serve the family by helping raise three incredible young people.
At some point, children become young adults. It was a heart-breaking transition with plenty of tears. After Lucy “aged out,” Laura was employed by the Omaha Public Schools as an intake coordinator in the Special Education department. Again, it was an opportunity to serve children and families. Laura shined in this area.
Laura’s partner and wife of many decades was Therese. Laura and Therese jumped state lines in December 2013 to marry in Iowa. Therese would talk about how her cousin Mary did the same thing “back in the day” when Nebraska did not allow interracial marriage. (Note. Ted, Mary’s husband, is Japanese. It was not until 1967 that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional state laws banning white people from marrying non-whites.)
Laura transitioned to a higher dimension on Monday, June 15, 2020. This was 8 days past her June 7th birthday (Happy 62nd!). On Sunday evening, Laura shared with me how cool it would have been to leave on “Obama Day” which was that Sunday, June 14. Little did she know at the time, the day she left was marked by the landmark SCOTUS ruling protecting gay, lesbian, and transgender workers from discrimination. I’m certain she found this to be a pretty cool day to leave.
She found curious people to be the most interesting and often wrote about her observations of people. She loved to write, and I encourage you to check out her blog, Just Eat Your Cupcake, Too, and her Twitter feed, @towlparkwriter. Could you do her a favor? If you are not following her on Twitter, please do. She would love to go out with more followers. She wrote All. The. Time.
Cancer may have destroyed her body container, but it did not claim her spirit. One would be hard-pressed to find another soul matching her empathy, compassion, and patience. She loved Game of Thrones and Kit Harrington, going to the land of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, putting her toes in the Pacific Ocean, seeing the Obama Presidency, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the stage show of Hamilton, and having Lee DeWyze perform a show for HER live in her own living room! She loved good coffee and great books, first-class airline seats, and curious minds.
She thought the best of others. Always. She forgave. Always. She was always the one that loved more. Always. If there was but only one lesson to share from Laura, it would be for everyone to LOVE MORE. Love those that are hard to love. Forgive and love those that you feel have wronged you. Love the smile you see on the faces of children and on the scratch ticket winner at the gas station. Find the joy in everything you do, and remember, we CAN change the world if we LOVE MORE.
